Apparatus for drying printed or varnished metal sheets.



No. 68I,346. Patented Aug. 27, I91".

- H. G. SGHUMANN.

APABATUS FOR DRYING PRINTED 0R VARNISHED METAL SHEETS. (Applicaltion filed Apr. 25, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I N0. 68I,346. Patented Aug. 27, I90I. H. G. SCHUMANN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTED 0B VARNISHED METAL SHEETS.

(Application filed Apr. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

4 Shegts-$heet 2.

' & ma 0;

m; cams Prrzns 00.. PHGTD-LITHO., WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 68l,346. Patented Aug. 27, I901. H. G. SCHUMANN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTED OR VARNISHED METAL SHEETS.

rAppliwation filed Apia 26, 1901.- (Nu Modem 4 Sheets-$heet 3,

Z 5; y & a as s u j? OJi xwwm I HE NORRIS FETEF co. PHOTQLITHQ. WASHINGTON, a. c.

N0. 653L346. Patented Aug.'27, |901. H. G. SCHUMANN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING PBJN 0R VARNISHED METAL SHEETS.

(Application e Apr. 26, 1901.) (No Model.) I

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN GEORGE SCHUMANN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING PRINTED 0R VARNISHED METAL SHEETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,346, dated August 27, 1901.

' Application filed April 26, 1901. serial No. 57,601. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMANN GEORGE SOHUMANN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Printed or Varnished Metal Sheets and the Like, (for which I have filed an application for British Patent No. 2,016, dated January 29, 1901;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to improved appa ratus for drying printed or varnished metal sheets-such, for example, as those used in the manufacture of boxes and canistersand is characterized by a drying-chamber formed with narrow slot-like inlet and outlet apertures, respectively, for the entry of the wet metal sheets delivered from the printing or varnishing machine, hereinafter referred to as the printing-machine, and for the exit of the dried metal sheets and provided with means for heating the chamber to any required degree, and with means for indrawing and supporting the wet sheets in a face-up position, as delivered from the printing-machine through the inlet-aperture, and with means for successively lifting the sheets, gradually turning them into a vertically-inclined face-up-and-forward position, supporting them in such position and traversing them slowly from end to end of the chamber, and at the end of such traverse causing the dried sheets successively to resume their face-up position, and withmeans for delivering them in such position from the chamber through its exit-slot.

On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the drying-chamber on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, showing the sheet-carrying apparatus and itslaccessories, but showing only some of the sheetcarriers to avoid needless repetition, and not showing the details thereof on account of the smallness of the scale. Fig. 1 is a View of like character on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on a larger scale, of one-half the width of the carrying apparatus, showing a number of the sheet-carriers and their supporting means. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sec tional elevation on a still larger scale, showing the three angles of the triangular conveyer with parts broken away.

(t represents the drying-chamber, which is preferably constructed of sheet-iron casings, inclosing heat non-conducting material and provided with a flue b. The chamber is preferably heated by an arrangement of steamheated pipes c; but-any other suitable heating means may be used. The chamber is formed with a narrow slot-like aperture d for the entry of the wet metal sheets, which are traversed from the printing-machine and introduced into the chamber, face up, one after another bya traveling band e and are indrawn by a traveling band f into the chamber and onto a supporting-table g into position for being taken up by the sheet-carrying apparatus. The chamber is also formed with a narrow slot-like outlet-aperture 71 for the exit of the dried sheets, which are delivered therethrough, still face up, by a traveling band t. The outlet-aperture may be situated at the front, back, or side of the chamber, as most convenient, the delivery-band being arranged accordingly.

Where represented on the drawings, the metal sheets are indicated by The sheet-carrying apparatus consists of a plurality of arms j, pivotally mounted on a plurality of rods 70, located at close intervals and carried by a plurality of chains Zm. The rods k, fitted with tubes at, are supported by toothed Wheels 0, running free on shafts p,

supported by the machine-frame q and by toothed wheels r, running free on studs 8, carried by an adjustable block 25, supported by the machine-frame. The carrier -arms work in association with a corresponding plurality of arms u in such manner that each arm to serves to control the position of a coacting arm j while performing its sheet-carrying function. The arms to are also pivotally mounted on the rods k, and each thereof is fitted with a runner '0, adapted to traverse and to be supported by guiding-bearers w as, supported by the machine-frame and by parts of the peripheries of the shafts p and studs 8, and is also formed with a detent y, adapted to engage with a projecting part a of the arm 3', so as to support the latter while performing its sheet-carrying function. The rods 7a or some thereof are also fitted with runners'A, which engage with guides B, supported by the machineframe, while the sheet-carrier arms are supported by the bearers a: and are traversing the chamber from the sheet-receiving to the other end.

The parts of the shafts 19 against which the runners o bear and the bearers to, which project beyond a tangent to such shafts, (see Fig. 6,) cause the arms u successively to cause their coacting armsj gradually to turn from the free1yhanging position in which they return from the sheet-delivery end to the sheetreceiving end of the carrier to the horizon tally-inclined position they assume and retain at the receiving end and from such latter position to the vertically-inclined position they assume and retain while traversing the chamber from the sheet-receivin g to the other 7 end thereof, at which latter end projections O on the bearings :10 cause the arms u successively to trip their coacting arms j in such manner as to allow of the dried sheet being traversed by the next following set of arms j, sliding face up down the backs of the tripped set of arms. Each rod It carries a pair of coacting arms 3' to, one toward each side of the machine, (see Fig. 2,) so as to support the sheet at points as widely apart as convenient, and the arms of the respective pairs are set in different planes in the direction of the width of the machine (see Figs. 2 to 4) to permit of the different positions and tumbling movements of the arms represented in Figs. 1 and 6. Between each pair of arms and as closely adjacent thereto as convenient at each side of the machine (see Figs. 2 to 4) the rods 70, or some of them, are also fitted with reels D, which serve to support endless bands orwires E, which travel therewith and at the rate thereof and serve to arrest the sheets indrawn by the band f and also to support the sheets while traversing the chamber from the sheet-receiving to the other end thereof, and at such latter end the bands are led around a roller F to a weighted tension-regulating or tautening roller G, Fig. 1, and caused to form an inclined plane serving to guide the dried sheet, when it ceasing to be supported by the tripped arms j slides face up down the backs of the tripped arms. The fall of the tripped arms j is arrested by felt pads H on a rod stretched between a pair of levers I, which are operated at each actuation of the sheetcarrying apparatus and serve to break the fall of the tripped arms and to arrest the sheet sliding down the back thereof and then allow the arms to fall below the bands E, which then retain the sheet which slides thereoif onto the delivery-band. As represented, the delivery is efiected at the sheet-receiving end by the band 1', onto which the sheet is delivered by a rocking chute J, which when in the position shown in full lines receives the sheet sliding from 01f the inclined bands E and when in the position represented in dotted lines delivers the sheet onto the band t', the chute being operated by levers K L M at each actuation of the sheet-carrying apparatus.

The sheet-carrier may be driven by any suitable gear. As represented, it is driven by a cam or other suitably-operated reciprocating lever N, which at each actuation moves the sheet-carrying apparatus forward a step equal to the distance between two adjacent rods k, the lever K, by means of a pawl O and a ratchet wheel P on a shaft Q, passing through the block 1. and by gearing R on each side, driving the wheels 7' on the studs 3. In the return of the sheet-traversin g arms to the sheet-receivin g end of' the chamber their carrying-chains Z are supported by counter-' weighted levers S. The sheets maybe guided in their traverse through the chamber to prevent lateral shifting thereof by Wires, such as T, or in any other convenient manner. The bands 6 f t' and the sheet carrying appa ratus are timed to deal with the output of the printingunachine in consecutive order,so that no two sheets will be liable to come into con"- tact throughout their treatment, and all of the sheets will be caused to receive an identical andindividual treatment without being handled from the time they leave the printingma'chine until the time they leave the drying apparatus.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-+ 1. In apparatus for drying printed or varnished metal sheets, in combination, a chamber having narrow slot-like apertures respectively for the inlet of the wet metal sheets and for the outlet of the dried sheets, means of internally heating the chamber, means of receiving the wet sheets from the printing-machine and delivering them into the chamber, means of indrawing the wet sheets, and supporting the same in a faceup position, means of lifting the sheets and gradually turning them into a vertically-inclined face up and forward position, supporting them in such position and traversing them slowly from end to end of the chamber, and, at the end of such traverse, causing them successively when dry to resume their face-up position, means of' delivering them in such position from the chamber through its exit-slot, and means of actuating the traversing mechanism, as set forth.

2. In apparatus for drying printed or varfig nished metal sheets, in combination, a chamber,a, having a narrow slot-like sheet-inlet aperture, d, and a like sheet-exit aperture, h, a band, f, for indrawing the wet sheets onto a supporting-table, g; an arrangement of pipes, c, for heating the chamber; an articulated series of coacting arms, to, j, pivotally mounted on rods, 70, connected by chains, Z, m, supported and traversed by toothed wheels, 0, r, for traversing the sheets through the chamber; bearers and guiding-surfaces, 19, w, 00, C, s,adapted to cause the arms, a, to cause the arms, 7', successively to turn their delivery; means of actuating the sheete's1,34e 8 from a non-operative pendent position to a horizontallydnclined position and from such position to a Vertically-inclined position and to retain such position while traversing the chamber end and then to trip the arms, j, so as to free the next following sheet; a plurality of bands, E, supported by and traveling at the same rate as the rods for stopping and supporting the sheets and guiding them in carrying devices and slowly traversing the same through the chamber in a continuous 1 

